UFC bantamweight contender Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera (21-8 MMA) recently made waves in the mixed martial arts (MMA) community as he opened up about what he perceives as the relative ease of circumventing the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing protocols. Vera, who achieved a victory against Pedro Munhoz (20-8 MMA) at UFC 292 in August, shared his candid thoughts in a video interview with Bradley Martyn.
In the interview, Vera expressed his disdain for fighters who resort to performance-enhancing drugs to gain an edge in competitions. He stated, “Pussies that cheat to win tournaments and enhance with drugs; when people cheat, they do drugs to be faster. I’m talking (in) competition. If you wanna be a fking big guy, be a big guy, cool. But fighting, specific. It’s too fked up. I think there’s a lot of people taking it because it’s so easy to beat USADA. You need like 20 grand. Call a good doctor, boom.”
Vera went on to explain his perspective, noting that a knowledgeable doctor could provide athletes with the right substances and guidance to evade detection. He claimed, “A good doctor will give you good products. He will tell you how to clean yourself. USADA only comes 6 am to 6 pm. I would love if USADA knocked on your door at 4 am, 10 pm, 3 pm — random, because they have this window. So, I can go to the fcking mountains in Ecuador and tell them I’m hunting. I’ll be doing EPO and sht. By the time I come back, there’s nothing in me.”
Despite Vera’s outspoken views on the subject, it’s worth noting that the 30-year-old fighter has undergone drug testing 53 times during his tenure in the UFC, passing each test without issue. Vera emphasized his commitment to a clean sport, stating unequivocally, “I’d rather die before I cheat, bro.”
This is not the first time Marlon Vera has made allegations regarding fighters using steroids and getting away with cheating despite USADA’s testing efforts. His recent comments have reignited the debate over the effectiveness of anti-doping measures in professional sports, particularly in MMA.
